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How did Bayern Munich's Renato Sanches end up at Swansea?

Renato Sanches

Swansea pulled off one of the shocks of the transfer window with their season-long loan deal for Bayern Munich's Renato Sanches.

But how did they make it happen? And why is it such a coup for Paul Clement's side?

Here, we answer the key questions on Sanches' unlikely move to the Liberty Stadium.

How good is he?

Sanches is seen as one of the most exciting young players in Europe. The midfielder, who has only just turned 20, burst onto the scene with a dazzling breakout season at Benfica in 2015/16, helping his boyhood club win the Portuguese title and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

He then starred for Portugal at Euro 2016. Sanches produced a man-of-the-match performance against Croatia in the last 16, scored a crucial goal against Poland in the quarters, and became the youngest finalist in the tournament's history when he started in Portugal's extra-time triumph over France in Paris.

Renato Sanches lifts the Euro 2016 trophy last summer
Image: The midfielder was named best young player at Euro 2016

By that time, Bayern Munich had already beaten off competition from a host of top European clubs for his signature. Sanches headed to Bavaria for a fee of £27.5m. With his all-action style and impressive maturity on the pitch, it seemed he was destined for the top.

So what went wrong?

Sanches went straight into the Bayern team, starting four of their first six Bundesliga games, but he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings and it wasn't long before he was dropped.

Carlo Ancelotti insisted he would get more chances as the season progressed, but Bayern already had Xabi Alonso, Thiago Alcantara and Arturo Vidal in their midfield, and by the end of the campaign Sanches had only made nine starts. This summer, Bayern decided he would be better off gaining first-team experience on loan.

What's the Clement connection?

Clement was able to convince Sanches to make the move to the Liberty Stadium having worked closely with him during his time as Carlo Ancelotti's assistant at Bayern.

Renato Sanches and Paul Clement pictured together during a promotional event at Bayern Munich
Image: Sanches and Paul Clement pictured together during a promotional event at Bayern Munich

"I'm delighted to secure his services,'' he told Swansea's official website. "He is a player I know well having worked with him for six months at Bayern Munich before my own move to Swansea.

"Having moved from Benfica to Bayern Munich, he has not played as much as he would have liked. But this move to Swansea and the Premier League will provide him with a real positive development experience."

Was there interest from elsewhere?

Sanches, who is represented by Jorge Mendes, the same super-agent as Jose Mourinho, has long been mooted as target for Manchester United, and he also attracted interest from Liverpool and Chelsea before completing his move to South Wales.

Renato Sanches was substituted early in the second half
Image: Sanches in action for Portugal

The 20-year-old was close to joining big-spending Italian side AC Milan earlier in the summer, while there was also reported interest from French sides Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.

Bayern, however, felt that allowing Sanches to be reunited with Clement was the best option for his development. "I'd like to thank Karl and Carlo for showing their trust in the club and myself as a coach by allowing Sanches to come," said Clement, who first made contact with Bayern about taking Sanches on loan at the start of the summer.

What are the terms of the deal?

Swansea are paying a loan fee of around £4m, according to Sky sources, but Bayern have been quick to point out that they intend for him to return to the Allianz Arena at the end of the season.

"We're delighted we've been able to conclude the loan deal with Swansea City," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. "Our goal was for Renato to gain regular match practice at club level in a strong league such as the Premier League.

"We remain convinced he has the potential to become an important player for FC Bayern in the future. For this reason the agreement states that the player will return to FC Bayern on 1 July 2018 with no option to make the transfer permanent."

Swansea will also pay Sanches' wages during his time at the club, which take the total cost of the loan to over £6m.

What next?

Sanches will join up with his new team-mates next week and could be in line for his debut when Swansea face Newcastle live on Sky Sports Premier League HD on Nissan Super Sunday on September 10.

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